Soap holder



June 25, 1963 M. HERRERO RODRIGO SOAP HOLDER Filed April 26, 1960 11V VENTOR Ma ma! flmzro ATTORNEY ted States Patent Ofice 3,094,806 Patented June 25, 1963 3,094,806 SOAP HOLDER Manuel Herrero Rodrigo, Velazquez 102, Madrid, Spain Filed Apr. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 24,796 Claims priority, application Spain Oct. 2, 1959 3 Claims. (CI. 4528) The present invention relates to a device for supporting soap tablets, which may be fastened to a Wall by its base. The device is provided with a bent arm having an end on which a soap tablet is secured, enabling the users to easily handle and use the soap.

A feature of the said invention is that the above-mentioned bent arm or rod hangs from and is secured to a base-plate, on which it articulates, and that is fixed onto a wall, preferably above the bath tub or wash-stand in a toilet. A further feature of the invention is that the articulation between the arm or rod, and the fixed plate is a universal joint cooperating with a spring provided in the base plate in which is housed and held in place a sphere-shaped end portion of the said rod, and said sphere-shaped end portion is permanently biased, by the Spring, fixing its position, but however permitting the user, when required, to displace or turn the rod and consequently the soap tablet in the direction required, and to adjust its position adjacent a wall in order to save space, when the soap is not used.

Another further feature of the invention is that the neck projecting from the base, has in the vicinity of its end slots like merlons enabling a side displacement of the rod holding the soap.

Another further feature of the invention is that the arm holding the soap has at its free end a narrowing portion or throat and a substantially frusto-conical head having an annular shoulder constituting a seat or stopping step, adapted to hold a tubular body or sleeve made out of any suitable material, preferably plastic material, which is utterly embeddedin the very inside of the soap tablet, forming with it a compact assembly. Upon introduction of the tubular body onto the rod, owing to the elasticity of the material of which it is made, its edge or end face will be stopped in the recess against a shoulder of the rod preventing the release of the tubular body.

Another feature of the invention is the way to tie and hold the tubular body, above referred to, into the mass of the soap. For this purpose, the tubular body has around its periphery a plurality of integral external anchoring means or rims and or slots, of any design, for establishing a close-fitting union between the body and the tablet. A more exact idea of an embodiment of the instant invention, is obtained from the full description hereinafter given, and the study of the attached drawing, in which, is shown, schematically, and only by way of example, the assembly and more outstanding details and, the idea of the invention as applied in a possible industrial embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view partly in section of the device and the soap tablet on it; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the base plate of this device.

Referring to the drawing there will be seen the base plate of the device, which has holes 2 bored for screws to fix the plate onto the wall. Numeral 3 refers to the tubular throat projecting upwards from the base 1 which has a tapered end portion 4 of reducing diameter to hold the sphere-shaped end 6 of the rod 5. The rod 5 has a deflected length 7, on which the tablet or soap block is adapted to be secured. Number 8 show-s a plate 8 acting as a seat and bearing part is arranged in throat 3. The expansion spring 9 exerts a permanent pressure on plate 8 and the spring 9 in turn is retained by a washer or similar part 10. It is clear that the assembly constituted by the expansion spring 9 and the seat 8 acts smoothly on the sphere shaped end 6 of the bent arm 5 holding it in the suitable position required. Thus the seat 8 and the tapered end portion 4 form bearing means for the sphere-shaped end or ball 8 and together constitute a universal ball joint.

Reference numerals 11, 12, 13 and 14 mark in FIG. 2 the merlon shaped slots made in the edge of the throat 3 enabling the user to displace or turn sidewise the arm 5 for the purpose of saving space, when the device is not used.

The deflected length 7 of the rod 5 is formed at its free end with a pair of coaxial aligned frusto-conical portions 15, 16, both of them defining the seat or shoulder 17 which holds the tubular body or sleeve 18 and consequently the soap tablet 20 which envelops it. The said tubular body has a plurality of external anchoring means or rims 19 which are inlaid in the soap block constituting with it a unified structure.

It is easily understood that the means to hold the said tubular body 18 and the soap block 20 may be differently constructed than as shown in FIG. 1. When special conditions will require it, there might be arranged, instead of the peripheric rims 19, salients or ribs or projecting parts of any shape, or holes, or any other arrangement, to efiiciently retain the tubular body 18 in the soap block 20.

It is also easily understood that when the soap block is consumed, it will be necessary to replace it. For the purpose it will only be necessary to tear off or break the sleeve 18 by any suitable means, and to make the extraction or pulling off of the said tubular body 18 easier, slots or cuts may be made, or-any other arrangement provided to facilitate such extraction of the sleeve.

In the device, constituting the subject matter of the present invention, there may be introduced any such alterations or modifications in detail that might be rendered advisable in practice, provided that such modifications do not change, alter or modify the device described in its essential idea.

I claim:

1. A soap supporting arrangement comprising in combination, an arm having a first and a second end portion; bearing means connected to and defining with said first end portion a universal joint for said arm; a onepiece soap supporting sleeve of elastic plastic material turnably mounted on the second end portion of the arm, said sleeve having integral external anchoring means so as to prevent separation of the soap supported thereon in response to axial stresses acting on the soap in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the supporting arm; and means provided at said second end portion of said arm for turnably supporting said sleeve on said arm.

2. A soap supporting arrangement comprising in combination, an arm having a first and a second end portion;

bearing means connected to and defining with said first end portion a universal joint for said arm; a one-piece soap supporting sleeve of elastic plastic material turnably mounted on the second end portion of the arm, said sleeve having a plurality of annularly arranged projections extending substantially radially outwardly from said sleeve so as to prevent rotation of the soap about said sleeve and to prevent separation of the soap supported thereon in response to axial stresses acting on the soap in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the supporting arm; and means provided at said second end portion of said arm for turnably supporting said sleeve on said arm.

3. A soap supporting arrangement comprising in combination, an arm having a first and a second end portion; bearing means connected to and defining with said first end portion a universal joint for said arm; and a onepiece soap supporting sleeve of elastic plastic material turnably mounted on the second end portion of the arm, said sleeve having integral external anchoring means so as to prevent separation of the soap supported thereon in response to axial stresses acting on the soap in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the supporting arm, said second end portion comprising a substantially frusto-conical head having an annular shoulder facing toward said first end portion and said sleeve having an annular end face abutting against said shoulder for turnably supporting said sleeve on said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,680 Dawes Dec. 18, 1888 617,259 Roenius Jan. 3, 1899 FOREIGN PATENTS 585,567 France Mar. 3, 1925 1,027,289 France Feb. 11, 1931 1,044,965 France June 24, 1953 

1. A SOAP SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN ARM HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND END PORTION; BEARING MEANS CONNECTED TO AND DEFINING WITH SAID FIRST END PORTION A UNIVERSAL JOINT FOR SAID ARM; A ONEPIECE SOAP SUPPORTING SLEEVE OF ELASTIC PLASTIC MATERIAL TURNABLY MOUNTED ON THE SECOND END PORTION OF THE ARM, SAID SLEEVE HAVING INTEGRAL EXTERNAL ANCHORING MEANS SO AS TO PREVENT SEPARATION OF THE SOAP SUPPORTED THEREON IN RESPONSE TO AXIAL STRESSES ACTING ON THE SOAP IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SUPPORTING ARM; AND MEANS PROVIDED AT SAID SECOND END PORTION OF SAID ARM FOR TURNABLY SUPPORTING SAID SLEEVE ON SAID ARM. 